Scraper for automobile running boards



Feb. 13, 1934- A. GLAUBER ET AL 1,946,578

SCRAPER FOR AUTOMOBILE RUNNING BOARDS Filed April 20. 1951 22 23INVENTORS.

AuGL/s'r GLAUBE/Z 21 564 EM/l. f." GLAUBE/Z Patented Feb. 13, 1934SCRAPER FOR AUTOMOBILE RUNNING BOARDS August Glauber and Emil F.Glauber, Lafayette,

Calif Application April 20, 1931. Serial No. 531,472

4 Claims.

. ing type which is applicable to the running board of an automobile.

An object of our invention is to provide a simple, inexpensive andeifective scraper for use on automobiles which can be convenientlysecured to the underside of a running board.

Another object of our invention is to provide a novel type of scraperthat can be disposed upon the underside of an automobile running boardand which can be moved into an inoperative position where it will notproject beyond the out r edge of the running board.

A further object of our invention is to provide an efiective scraper forrunning boards which can be connected to a running board in a permanentmanner and which has a scraper element that can be extended out beyondthe limits of the running board into an operative position and pushedback under the running board into an inoperative position and out ofdanger of striking objects when the automobile is in motion.

In the art to which our invention pertains, it has been customary toprovide a stationary scraper upon or along the outer edge of a runningboard. In some instances there has also been provided a slit in therunning board through which the mud or other dirt may drop from thescraper. In another type of scraper, the scraping surface has beenformed upon a flange which extends slightly outward from the edge of therunning board so that the dirt can fall down free of the running board.The former type of scraper has been open to the objection that it wouldgenerally leave an accumulation of dirt on the running board and thelatter type of scraper has been open to the objection that by reason ofits construction it must project outwardly beyond the edge of therunning board where it is liable to be damaged should it engage anyobstacle while the car is in motion. Therefore, it is another object ofour'invention to provide a foot scraper for the running board of anautomobile that can be extended outwardly bev yond the edge of therunning board when in use lustration and not of limitation preferredembodiments thereof.

In the drawing wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout theseveral views;

Figure 1 is a side elevation showing a portion or a running board with ascraper constructed" in accordance with our invention attached thereto,

Figure 2 is an end elevation of the device 11- lustrated in Figure 1with the scraper in its inoperative position,

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 showing the scraper in itsextended and operative position, and

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figures 2 and 3 showing a modified formof. our invention.

In the drawing 10 designates the scraper element of our improved device.The scraper element 10, as shown, has rearwardly projecting arms 11which are disposed between suitable vertically extending supports 12that will be described in more detail hereinafter.

The supports 12 may be secured directly to the underside of a runningboard 13 or they may, as shown, be secured to a plate 14 which isadapted to be applied to the running board 13. The running board 13 asillustrated is provided with the usual tread material 15 and aprotecting strip 16, as is the general practice.

The rear ends of the arms 11 are shown in this figure of the drawing asbeing held in proper spaced relation by a reenforcing bar 17 so that theends thereof will be held in cooperation with the supports 12. Springs18 are shown as connected in tension between the bar 17 and upturnedhooks 19 formed upon the member 14."

By referring toFigm'es 2 and 3 of the drawing it will be seen that eachof the supports 12 is provided with diagonally disposed and parallelextending slots 20 and 21. Each of the rearwardly projecting arms 11 ofthe scraper element 10 is also shown as carrying outwardly projectingmembers 22 and 23 which respectively engage the slots 20 and 21. In thisembodiment of our invention the projections .22 are round in crosssection and the projections 23 are made square in cross section. At thelower ends of the slots 21 we also provide recesses 24 into which themembers 23 may engage for the purpose of holding the scraper element 10in its inoperative position. I

In order to insure that the members 23 will engage the recesses 24 wemay also provide springs 25 which will serve to bias the members 23upwardly when the latter are in their I is to the running board of anautomobile.

lowermost positions in the slots 21. The springs 25 may be mounted inany suitable manner. As shown, they are disposed between a plurality ofoutwardly projecting pins; 26.

When the scraper element 10 is pushed into its inoperative position, asshown in Figure 2, it will be seen that the springs 18 will be undertension and as a result if an upward pressure sufficient to rotate thearms 11 about the pins 22 is exerted against the scraper element 10 bythe foot of the operator the members 23 will disengage the recesses 24and thus permit the springs 18 to move the scraper element 10 outwardlyand into the position illustrated in Figure 3 where the scraper will beexposed to view.

At this point it should be stated that the angle of disposition of theslots 20 and 21 and the ofiset illustrated in the arms 11 are such thatwhen a straight outward force is exerted upon the scraper element 10, aswhen cleaning the sole of a shoe, the scraper will have no tendency tomove downwardly and thus interfere with its effective use. By theprovision of a downwardly extending lip 27 on the scraper element 10,the lower extremity of which lies in alignment with the projections 22and 23 on the arms 11, it will be possible by applying a slight inwardforce at this point to easily push the scraper back into its inoperativeposition, as shown in Figure 2. When the scraper is thus pushed in themembers 23 will again engage the recesses 24 and retain the scraperwithin the outer limits of the running board 13 and out of danger.

In a simplified form of our invention, as illustrated in Figure 4,instead of providing projections 22 and 23 upon the arms 11, we mayprovide a pair of round rods 28 of similar construction which extendcompletely across between the supports 12, they being provided withsuitable shoulders that will serve to space the arms 11 properly andpermit their ends to project into the supports 12.

In this last construction, instead of providing square recesses 24 atthe lower ends of the slots 21 we provide comparatively deep circularrecesses 29 having an outline corresponding to the cross section of thecorresponding pins 28. With this arrangement it is also possible toeliminate the springs 24 as the springs 18 will effectively function todraw the ends of the rear member 28 into their respective recesses 29 assoon as the outer member 28 reaches the lower end of its slot 20.

From the above it will be seen that we have provided a scraper which canbe easily applied It will also be evident from the above that thescraper can be moved from its inoperative to its operative position andvice versa in a simple and convenient manner by the foot of theoperator.

While we have, for the sake of olearness and in order to disclose ourinvention so that the same can be readily understood, described andillustrated specific devices and arrangements, we desire to have itunderstood that this invention is not limited to the specific meansdisclosed but may be embodied in other ways that will suggestthemselves, in view of this broad disclosure, to persons skilled in theart. It is believed that this invention is broadly new and it is desiredto claim it as such so that all such changes as come within the scope ofthe appended claims are to be considered as part of this invention.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim and desire to secureby Letters Patent is 1. In a foot scraper for the running board of anautomobile, the combination of a pair of spaced supports each having twoparallel and diagonally extending slots therein which extendtransversely beneath the running board, one of said slots having aretaining recess in its side adjacent its lower end, a scraper bladedisposed parallel with the running board having inwardly extending 35arms at each end thereof, means carried by said arms for engaging saidparallel slots and said retaining recess, and a single spring meansconnected between the inner ends of said arms and the forward ends ofsaid supports and adapted to urge said scraper blade outwardly into anexposed position adjacent the running board when the means carried bysaid arms is out of engagement with said retaining recess, said springbeing adapted to also cooperate with said retaining re cess to hold thescraper blade in a concealedposition beneath the running board when themeans upon said arms engages said retaining recess.

2. In a foot scraper for the rimning board oi.

an automobile, the combination of a pair of spaced supports securedtransversely upon 'the underside of the running board, each of saidsupports having parallel and diagonally extending slots therein, theinnermost one of said slots have ing a retaining recess in its sideadjacent its lower cess in said supports, a single spring means nectedbetween the inner ends of said arms and the forward ends of saidsupports and adapted to urge said scraper blade outwardly into anexposed position beyond the edge of the running boardwhen the means uponsaid arms is out of engagement with said retaining recess, and adownwardly extending lip upon said scraper blade against which pressuremay be applied, whereby the means upon said arms will be urged intosaid.

retaining recess when the scraper blade is-moved 0 into a concealedposition beneath the running board.

3. In a foot scraper for the running board of an automobile, thecombination of a supporting member having diagonally disposed guidewayswhich extend transverse to the running board, a scraper blade havingprojecting arms which slide in said guideways and permit said scraperblade to assume both an exposed position adjacent the running board anda concealed position beneath 1 0 the running board, a spring meansconnected between said supporting member and the projecting arms of thescraper blade for biasing the scraper blade into its exposed position,said spring means being so disposed with respect to said guideways thatit will also bias the inner ends of said projecting arms upwardly whenthe scraper bladeis moved into its concealed position, and means at thelower end of said guideways adapted to cooperate with the inner ends ofsaid projecting arms when said spring means is exerting said lat terbias for holding the scraper blade in its concealed position.

4. In a foot scraper, the combination of a support which can be securedto the underside of a tread, said support having a pair of guideways ateach end thereof which extend diagonally in a vertical plane transverseto the tread, a scraper member having arms disposed adjacent saidguideways, projections upon said arms extending 1'50 the edge of saidtread, and a means cooperating with the projections upon said arms forlatching the arms and the scraper member in a concealed position whenthe scraper member is pushed beneath the tread.

AUGUST GLAUBER. EMIL F. GLAU'BER.

